Raiden
by hitori.no.boku
Summary: AU. Naruto struggles with Sasuke's living legacy in the aftermath of a bloody world war. A story of being a teacher, a killer and the agent of an Elder Kami all in one.
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

"_When the sun goes down, I scream loud, I'll sleep when I die. But I will never die, my legacy is alive."_

* * *

The rain thundered down from the sky.

Sheets and sheets of warm liquid poured from the heavens in a never ending shower. It was the sixth day of the storm; a constant stream of heavy rain clouds roaring their way down from the valleys of the north and into temperate climates. It was the heaviest rain to date in Fire Country, breaking record books stretching back to the time of the Shodaime, and even to the earliest records of the nomadic ninja tribes that had once roamed the land. Some residents of Fire country had panicked, fearing the great flood and landslides that followed. Others revered the rain.

However, some were apathetic. To a good shinobi, the rain, after all, was just another obstacle meant to be overcome, or another blessing to be taken advantage of.

But to certain shinobi, the rain was a playground, untapped potential waiting to be called upon.

Uzumaki Naruto stared up at the clouds.

He liked the rain, he mused.

Steadying a steaming hot pot of tea on his table, Naruto poured himself a cup, legs folding into a relaxed kneel. He eyed the rain as he poured his tea.

Rain.

It was clean, refreshing. It washed away the dirt and the blood. And it masked the disgust and the disdain and the rot that gripped the world. For when it rained, those from all walks of life came together to find shelter. It was, he thought, the high heavens perfect creation. It was a uniting, peaceful bringer of life.

Naruto sipped on the brew, savoring the warmth that trickled down his throat and spread through his body with each mouthful.

But yet, he thought, it was also a terrible force of destruction. One that he was very well acquainted with. His lips twitched, eyes fixated on the skies as a bright yellow flash of lightning raced across the grey clouds, illuminating the falling rain. He closed his eyes, listening to the drops pour onto his rooftops, clattering and pattering loudly against his brick tile.

The sound was so very familiar, and it brought him back years, to times more desperate and more violent. It reminded him of fields of death, of rain falling loudly in empty courtyards. It reminded him of his own two feet running steadily with the sound of the rain, ghosting through buildings and slaughtering to the even tempo of a storm, his chakra crackling like the lightning overhead. He remembered binding the storms to his will, his body becoming the thunder, his speed as fast as the yellow bolts across the sky and his power as constant as a torrential downpour.

"Sensei?"

Naruto slid his eyes open. A raven haired little girl met his gaze, an uncertain look painted on her face. She was perched on the wooden steps leading to the garden and her clothes were soaked, dirty in places from the rain and the mud. Naruto's fingers uncurled from around his tea cup and he gently placed it onto the table in front of him.

"Yes, Hitomi?" he spoke, hands retreating into the sleeves of his simple cloth yukata.

The girl looked down, breaking her steady stare. She shuffled her feet for a second before she looked up at Naruto, giving him a haughty look.

"I've finished with the obstacle course. Shall I start with jutsu practice?"

The girl stared at him, a hint of hope lurking in her eyes behind all of that defiance.

Naruto was silent for a moment.

Those eyes were so familiar. Almost too much so. It hadn't been that long ago he'd seen those eyes on another dark haired, smoky eyed ninja.

"No. Run it again."

The girl faltered for a moment, biting back a snappy retort.

"But sensei…"

Naruto's eyes looked down to his tea, shadowed under the bangs of his hair.

"Again Hitomi. Now."

Hitomi stood there for a moment almost as if she would say something, would talk back to the blonde sitting so easily and lazily on the patio. But she didn't, instead spinning away into the rain and toward the obstacle course again. From under shadowed eyes, Naruto watched her leave.

"You certainly don't cut her any slack, do you?" a voice remarked.

Naruto scoffed before taking a sip of his tea, blue orbs still watching his student through the rain, the flash of the red and white fan plastered on her clothes catching his gaze. He waved his hand forward, gesturing the new voice to sit.

Iruka knelt across from the blonde and busied himself with pouring his own cup of tea. He glanced up at his former student.

"She's pretty powerful in her own right you know? Don't you think the obstacle course is a bit too…basic for her now?" said the man.

Naruto clasped his tea in his hands, giving the older nin a sharp look.

"You should know better than anyone that basics are the key Iruka."

He turned his gaze back to the girl, watching her fall into the water and mud as the rain poured.

"And, it keeps her humbled."

"Ah", Iruka nodded, placing the teapot down. "A hard thing to be for those who are powerful", he remarked. The two fell silent, watching Hitomi slog through the mud, dodging kunai and shuriken, her form and balance a picture of grace.

"She is very skilled", the former teacher observed, "Like a student I had a long time ago. Naturally gifted in the shinobi arts."

Naruto merely shrugged, head tilting upward. His yukata billowed in the breeze wafting in from the open patio, rain showering it with droplets.

"She will not be like her father."

The teacher and student watched Hitomi fall the mud below, face covered in slick goo as a pair of shuriken pierced her thigh. She grimaced in pain before pulling them out and throwing them away, fingers pulling together into the hand seals for a quick kawarimi.

"No, no I don't think she will be Naruto" Iruka murmured.

Naruto hummed in agreement as he pulled his hand from his sleeve, tearing his gaze away from his student to look down at the droplets of rain covering his yukata. He frowned, and then ran a finger across the cloth.

Iruka watched as the droplets on Naruto's clothes shimmered and then evaporated. He glanced at the blonde's nonchalant face and then up to the raging storm. Iruka pulled a mournful look, glancing back at Naruto.

"So, any chance for you to change the weather around here?" he asked. "It's been raining for a week and the school might flood!"

Naruto looked up at the storm, eyeing the lightning streaking across the sky.

"Not even I can find a way to stop this storm Iruka-sensei", said Naruto, reaching an arm out to motion to the rain, yukata sleeve sliding down his arm, giving way to a band of intricate seal work tattooed into his skin.

Iruka snorted, eyeing the blonde briefly, eyes trailing up his arm before giving his former student an incredulous face. Naruto gave him an exasperated look, hand coming back to rest on his lap, sleeve once again falling in place. Iruka began to talk, un-phased.

"Mahh, mahh, Naruto, help out an old man. They don't call you Kaze no Kami for nothing", he quipped, staring pointedly at the hint of ink that barely poked its way from the confines of Naruto's yukata sleeve. The blonde just sighed, making a clicking noise with his tongue. He gave Iruka a sidelong glance.

"Tch. No one has called me that in years."

Iruka laughed.

"Mm, well, that's where you're wrong, Ruh-ai-den-sama. They still whisper your name out there you know? The war might be over, but the people haven't forgotten and you know shinobi have long memories"

Naruto was silent.

"Remember? The second yellow flash, master of hiraishin, the god of wind who could summon a storm with just a thought! Thunderbolt!"

A hint of a smile tugged on Naruto's lips as he listened to his old teacher ramble on.

"That was always my favorite", quipped Iruka, "Thunderbolt! Why didn't I ever have a nickname like that?"

A sad smile pulled at Naruto's lips, his eyes and voice suddenly taking on a tired tinge.

"I would not wish my power on anyone Iruka-sensei."

The two fell silent, memories of lightning and water and the whole world set ablaze with fire. Memories of demons and kami and the very foundations of the earth shaking. They sat in silence and remembered as they watched Naruto's young student, the last relic of a cursed family, sweat and bleed in the rain and mud. They watched, and they remembered.

Finally, Iruka spoke, and when he did his jovial tone had gone, leaving only a somber note in his voice.

"No…I would not either. Your power is a terrible, terrible thing."

* * *

Naruto can still remember the smell of burning flesh curling its way through his nostrils. He can still remember the acrid, sweet smell hanging around him like a fog. It's imprinted in his brain, the same way kage bunshin is, the same way throwing on a quick, empty smile is.

Naruto remembers the crackle of burnt wood and the sound of dying flames, drowned out by a heavy storm.

And the blonde can still remember the empty, haunted look in his sensei's eyes as the silver haired man cradles a disfigured Sakura, her face burned beyond recognition, melted skin and blood roping their way across her pale face.

Naruto doesn't say a word as Kakashi heals what damage he can, using jutsu he's copied and mastered over decades of service to reverse the damage to his pink haired teammate's fair skin. But the damage is done. It's already too late, and Sakura is too far gone. There is nothing either of them can do for her now. So Naruto looks away, stomach flipping as he surveys the total destruction around him.

Dozens of nin slaughtered. Swathes of Konoha forest burnt down. And a black fire that burns eerily, even in the rain and darkness.

"Amaterasu…", says a voice over Naruto's shoulder. The blonde turns his gaze around, eyes coming to find Jiraiya of the Sannin sealing a lingering flame within a scroll.

"Your rain jutsu gives it quite a run for its money. It's nearly out of power", remarks the Toad Sage, straightening up and gesturing at the dying fire around them.

Naruto nods faintly, still watching the flickering flames dance beneath his Kyuubi powered rain storm. The water whips around them as he adds more chakra, urging the rain pouring down from the heavens to douse the sharingan created fire.

"Do you have a name for it yet?" questions Jiraiya. Naruto merely shrugs, still pondering the destruction. The smell of burnt flesh won't leave his senses, and his nature chakra is roaring at him, telling him that this…this carnage is not right.

Behind them Kakashi is carrying Sakura into a hurriedly made tent to be treated by arriving medics. He's done what he can. But her face will never be the same.

Jiraiya watches them go.

"She'll be lucky if she even retains use of her eyes. Her career as a shinobi might as well be over", Jiraiya says softly, still speaking to a motionless Naruto.

Naruto clenches his hands, fingernails digging into his skin. Lightning crackles above them and the wind gusts through the destroyed forest. He says nothing still, following Jiraiya as the older man passes him.

The shinobi working in the destroyed forest part like water around the two ninja. Naruto can see the momentary stares. The unsure glances and hesitant steps around him. His chakra is thrumming, blood hot underneath his skin. The ninja give him a wide berth.

Around them a forward base is being setting up. ANBU and jounin create a crude campsite, establish communication lines and set perimeter patrols. Masks flit in and out of Naruto's peripheral vision, and he can see Tenzo ordering dull white uniforms around in the darkness.

Konoha is coming. And each drop of blood spilt only increases its resolve.

Soon there will be nowhere to run. And nowhere to hide.

They are closing in.

The two ninja come to stop in front of the last sputtering flames of Amaterasu. Chakra powered rain pelts them, and the drops drip down Jiraiaya's face as he watches Naruto stare into the black abyss.

The blonde crouches, Jiraiya at his back, focusing more chakra powered rain onto the last vestige of crackling black Amaterasu. Within moments it is doused, and Naruto reigns his chakra in, coiling it tight around his body. The pressure and the hum of his power fade away, as does the pouring rain and the streaks of lightning arcing across the sky, much to the relief of ANBU around them. All that's left is a strong wind circling the blonde, wisps of blue chakra dying in the night.

Once the wind dies down to a gentle breeze, Naruto straightens, thrusting tattooed arms into his black coat as he turns past Jiraiya, walking towards Sakura's tent.

"He'll be lucky if he has his eyes after this sensei."

Jiraiya only grimaces as Naruto disappears behind him.

Uchiha Sasuke's days are numbered. The sharingan's days are numbered.

* * *

The day Naruto catches up with Sasuke it is raining, just the way he likes it.

For a clash between two titan shinobi, it isn't a grand affair. It isn't Madara vs Hashirama. It isn't even Jiraiya vs Orochimaru vs Tsunade epic in scale.

Naruto quickly and brutally kills every single ninja that is with Sasuke.

He starts with Karin. Using the wind as his path, nature chakra as his guide, he appears right behind her, seemingly out of thin air. It is a combination of Pein and Hanzo's incredible use of rain as a tool for situational awareness, and his father's patented Hiraishin. Whatever rain touches, he can touch too. He still doesn't have a name for it, but it doesn't matter, not now.

What matters is that it works. And it makes him unstoppable.

He snaps her neck before she even realizes he's there, unable to make use of her sensor skills.

Naruto turns to face a shocked Juugo, ripping a blade of wind through his neck and decapitating him before he can so much as make a move, at the same time as the rain around him compresses and whips into some Akatsuki fodder.

Suigetsu attempts to attack Naruto with his preferred element; water. Lightning shrieks around them instead. The blonde doesn't even turn around as he stalks toward the cave Sasuke is waiting for him in, keen ears hearing Kakashi gut the former mist ninja with Zabuza's old blade. Suigetsu chokes to death on his own blood, eyes glazing over as he watches Hatake Kakashi walk calmly after Naruto, sealing kubikiri houcho away into a scroll.

Naruto wastes no time on pleasantries with Sasuke.

Using the rain around him he floods the dark haired ninja out of the cave he's holed himself in. And with a spinning rasenshuriken he obliterates it behind him.

That, at least, has the Uchiha's attention.

And then they fight.

Three years with one of the most versatile ninja to ever walk the planet, Jiraiya, and a few years of solo training with Hatake Kakashi, jounin before most were even genin, really changes a person. So does a few years of war.

Naruto was always a child capable of forgiving.

That part of him is long gone.

So instead of bringing Sasuke back, like so many want him to, he destroys him.

"Please."

Uchiha Sasuke pleads as blood dribbles from his mouth and streams from his one remaining eye.

"Please Naruto. Please."

Uchiha Sasuke pleads in his last moments of life.

Water has quenched his fire completely. Lightning has cut his nerves, and wind has slit his throat. The elements have turned against him, and his Susanoo has shattered under the weight of a true god. And as talented as Sasuke is with lightning, Naruto is even better.

Naruto has torn the world asunder. He has held nothing back against the 'last' Uchiha. The same being that once carved out swaths of land with a flick of its tail and raised tsunamis with a stomp of its paw walks again, with Naruto as its avatar.

Sasuke lies broken at his feet.

A lightning strike from heaven paralyzes Sasuke from the waist down, and a hand of wind tears out his left eye. Tsukuyomi is no use here, not with the Kyuubi and nature chakra so in tune within Naruto. But the blonde takes no chances. So when the sharingan eye is torn out and in his hands, he calmly disintegrates it with a flash of lightning chakra.

As Naruto looks down on his shattered old team mate, he feels no remorse. No sympathy. Of the 'Rookie Nine' Sasuke has killed four.

The wind around Naruto swirls agitatedly.

Sasuke is talking nonsense. Gibberish. But he's talking. More than he's done in the last five years.

So Naruto listens patiently.

Naruto can still remember Uchiha Sasuke's last words. Because they are a plea. Not for himself. But for someone else. And Sasuke has never put others interests before his.

In the moment Naruto thinks his old teammate has gone even more insane, has gone even more off the deep end than previously thought.

But then Kyuubi rumbles in his mind and nature swirls around him and tells him that Sasuke is telling the truth. That he's not lying. That his plea is not for him.

Sasuke, in his last moments alive, is lucid. He is not insane, driven mad by cursed eyes and a cursed seal. He is not the mentally imbalanced, homicidal maniac that has wreaked havoc across the elemental nations in the name of a long dead ancestor.

In his last moments Sasuke wishes and pleads for a life more important than his own.

So Naruto listens. He accepts it all.

He nods and see's the relief bloom on Sasuke's face.

He watches Sasuke smile, something he hasn't seen since they were children on the same genin team.

He watches him mouth the words 'thank you'.

And then watches calmly as Kakashi puts a raikiri through Uchiha Sasuke's brain.

* * *

Naruto is twenty years old when Kakashi kills Sasuke.

He doesn't feel a thing. Except maybe regret. Regret for the fact that Sasuke could have been something more. Something greater. Instead he ended up as another kill count of Sharingan Kakashi's long list of enemies.

He watches impassively as the older man uses the pouring rain to clean himself off, blood slick over both his arms and dripping from his silver hair, his mind wandering to Sasuke's last words.

They have a mission still it seems.

Two weeks later they are crouched by a river bed in some remote location, recouping after killing some Zetsu clones and pockets of Akatsuki mercenary ninja. They're looking for something hidden, something only seen to a sharingan eye. Sasuke has hidden his last gift well, only too aware of who would want it. And who could use it.

So Kakashi is bordering on chakra exhaustion after days, eye constantly out and searching. They've lost track of time and space, inching their way slowly back and forth between Fire country and Rice, the dead Uchiha's body sealed safely in a scroll in Kakashi's vest pocket.

The two talk frequently, long conversations in their down time on jutsu theory and creation. About tactics and battle plans. Kakashi is a once in a generation genius, now willing to impart his knowledge on his last capable student. Naruto is only too willing to soak it all up.

Days pass. And then weeks. Naruto knows they are close, his chakra can sense it. He can hear Kyuubi muttering in the depths of his mind of 'cursed eyes' and his nature chakra thrums in anticipation. He thinks Kyuubi is speaking on long dead Uchiha, perhaps Madara, maybe Itachi. Maybe Sasuke.

After nearly three weeks of searching what he finds makes his blood run cold.

They find the subject of Sasuke's dying rambling in an abandoned lab a mile into Fire Country territory, hidden under a multi layered, complex genjutsu.

Kakashi finds it on their third day in the area, eyes finally unravelling the illusions placed over an entrance hidden beneath the flowing water of a calm creek bed. It is Naruto's swell of chakra that breaks the genjutsu and forces the door of the lab open.

The two step into the darkness. Water drips down their cloaks and onto the floor, the slow pitter patter echoing in the empty lab.

Rust and the smell of mildew permeate their senses and Naruto's nose twitches at the smell of coppery blood that lingers in the air. Lightning crackles to life as Kakashi lifts a hand and illuminates the interior of presumably one of Orochimaru's old haunts. The facility has seen better days. Naruto blinks as his eyes adjust, chakra unfurling around him as his senses reach out into the depths of the building. He gazes at the scattered papers and empty food containers. There are paint brushes scattered around, drops of blue and pink paint staining the floor. His brain slows and processes the image.

He glances at Kakashi. But the copy nin is already moving, staring into the darkness at the other end of the room as his feet take him further down a long hallway leading down into the lab.

Naruto follows. By now they've reached the same conclusion. Naruto's charka tightens in anticipation.

There is only one person in the complex besides themselves. One tiny blip of chakra on his proverbial radar. Well hidden and controlled, but still there.

They are silent as they walk down the hallway, the hum of Kakashi's lightning swathed hand the only noise between the two.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Crunch.

Naruto looks down. Underneath his boot is a small doll, crushed under his weight. A child's toy.

He takes a deep breath.

Naruto's fingers splay out against the door at the end of the hall. The reinforced steel creaks under his chakra pressure.

There is a chakra signature on the other side.

Naruto slides the door off its hinges and steps through the doorway.

He peers in as a lightbulb flickers in the room. Kakashi stiffens and there is a sharp intake of breath.

The shadows play across a small pale face, dark locks of hair falling over a terrified expression.

And a single tomoe sharingan eye peers back at him through the darkness.

* * *

They rush back to Konoha.

But they aren't fast enough. Word has spread, naturally, of Sasuke's death. Ninja across the nations are moving now, putting plans into actions and creating more as they go. The window for many of these plans, now that Sasuke is dead, is closing. No one knows this better than Danzo Shimura.

So in the darkness of Konoha, he moves.

Akatsuki is nearly broken. The Kyuubi container is to blame for that. His plans for a world thrust into war are nearly derailed. Naruto must be made an example of, as well as his supporters. Danzo Shimura is a fanatic. A zealot. And his version of Konoha will exist. One way or another.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to Naruto that ROOT would show up eventually.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when they demanded that he turn Uchiha Sasuke's body over for research purposes. Any power hungry government would lick their chops at the opportunity to study the last Uchiha's body in an attempt to recreate the Sharingan.

It would have surprised him to know what a collection of eyes Danzo kept on his arm. And it would have surprised him if ROOT operatives hadn't tried to pry the one sharingan eye out of the skull of the girl riding on his back, if they'd known she'd had one that is.

What surprises Naruto the most however, are the words that come spewing from the ROOT operatives lips moments after telling them that Sasuke's head, and thus his eyes, have been destroyed.

"…the Hokage?" Naruto half asks, not quite sure what he is hearing. Behind him Kakashi straightens, and the blonde can feel the chakra gathering in his sensei's eye without even looking.

"Yes. In direct violation of orders sent down by the Rokudaime Hokage Danzo-sama", the masked ninja says.

Rokudaime Hokage Danzo. Meaning Godaime Hokage Tsunade has been replaced. Tsunade has been removed. Baa-chan is no longer Hokage. For some reason. Somehow. In no good world would Danzo ever be made Hokage. Which means he has taken it by force. And Tsunade is captive. Or worse, dead.

Konoha is rotting from its roots.

Naruto learns that day that the greatest enemies are always from within.

Behind Naruto, Kakashi just chuckles darkly, lightning crackling to life in his hand, sharingan swirling madly. The silver haired man is teetering on the brink of insanity. He always has been. But now there's no leash. No tether. Nothing stopping him from falling off the deep end.

Naruto glances at the collected nin in front of him with tired eyes. Killing Konoha ninja is one thing. But these are not shinobi of Konoha. They are readying jutsu, tensing for his sensei's attack.

The girl on his back buries her head into his shoulder. And it reminds Naruto of why they're here.

He laughs. His chakra explodes.

And the thunder rolls.

* * *

The two ninja fight their way into the center of village, chakra crackling around them as they cut down swathes of enemy nin. Naruto is bemused. Surely there could not be this many Root operatives in Konoha. Kakashi grunts something about mercenaries, multiple headbands and foreign techniques. The little girl strapped to Naruto's back buries her head into his hair as he cuts down a shinobi with stone skin. So much help from so many places just for two ninja.

At least Danzo was serious, Naruto muses.

Sensei and student kill more shinobi in the span of ten minutes than they have in the past months. It is a never ending stream with no end in sight. By now Naruto has called down the rain, and around them a storm thunders in fury. Water pours into the streets, mixing with the blood of those dead, sloshing together to create a sickly mud.

The two keep going, flashes of lightning passing between them.

And as Kakashi guts the last enemy with chidori, Danzo finally appears.

It is like a scene from a horror movie. Swathed in bandages, from head to toe, only Danzo's face and sickly white arm are revealed. And embedded in them are the unblinking crimson tint of sharingan eyes. He gazes at them unflinchingly, and Naruto is struck with the thought that Danzo had turned himself into the Uchiha monster he'd hated all along.

Time seemingly slows to a halt around the three shinobi. Naruto and Kakashi share a glance and then the copy nin is flashing away, the little girl now curled in his arms as he takes her to safety.

Some remaining Root operatives slither out of the woodwork to chase after them, but Naruto doesn't even spare them a look as lightning arcs down from the sky and kills them with impunity. He just stares, blue eyes locked on the experiment that Danzo has turned himself into.

The old war hawk's lips twitch as he watches his soldiers die.

"Look at us", he rasps.

Naruto can't help but think Danzo has never been one for monologuing, and he has long lost the desire to change someone's heart, so he cocks his head and listens.

"Two monsters at the end of it all."

Naruto tilts his head back and laughs.

He is twenty one when he kills Danzo Shimura.

It is the most insane fight he has ever been in. Danzo has ten lives. Ten chances to die. And Naruto enjoys killing him each and every time.

Neither talk as they trade jutsu. Danzo is good, and Naruto can't help but respect the old man. He is subtle, and there are no flashy techniques and loud calls of jutsu names as the two fight. Just flashes of steel, and lightning and wind, and red sharingan blurring in and out of view.

But Izanagi will not stop Naruto. Not now. Not ever. And as Naruto slits Danzo's throat for the third time, the tenth sharingan eye closes forever on the old man's arm.

Just one left.

Danzo is panting now and across the rubble of a building he glares up at Naruto through the rain.

A single sharingan eye flashes to life and Naruto can only wonder what final trick Danzo has up his sleeve.

Surprisingly there is no action, only words. A command actually. One to stop and surrender. One to give up and kill himself. One to give into Konoha. To Danzo's Konoha. One to give up Kyuubi. To cast away his sage power. To call back his storm. To give up being Uzumaki Naruto.

For a moment the blonde stares at Danzo and considers it. Like he's always had. What would it be like to stop being Uzumaki Naruto? To die?

He watches Danzo smirk, trembling as he pushes himself to his knees.

Surrender. Give up.

The voice echoes in his head. The Kyuubi rumbles in his mind, a deep low laugh and Naruto can't help but chuckle as well as his chakra surges.

"No.", he whispers back.

Kotoamatsukami is a relic of a bygone age. And it holds no sway over a sage, much less the Kyuubi.

No more lives. No more chances. No resurrections this time.

A flash of yellow in the rain, and Naruto's rasengan blows a hole the size of a watermelon out Danzo's back.

And as Naruto stares down at the bloody remains of Danzo Shimura, he wonders if this was how old man Sarutobi ever thought it would end.

* * *

An: This came to me in a dream. Tbc.


	2. The Legend

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

In the end, Danzo gets what he wants.

A world thrust into chaos and bathed in blood. It isn't the way the sharingan thief plans it, with himself at the helm of a vast, underground empire. But it's war all the same. And Naruto is all too happy to put an end to it.

He remembers the first night.

The first night of a year straight of blood and destruction.

He remembers Kakashi's tired eyes when he breaks the news. Remembers the empty look and the sharp, concerned glance that follows.

He remembers looking at the sleeping little girl in the corner. Watches her toss and turn in the night. It had been hot and humid. The blankets had been thrown off and her pillow had been haphazardly tossed to the side, part of it drooping down off the bed to touch the floor.

"This will set us back. We'll have to shift our timeline. It's too unstable now. We have to keep her hidden."

He'd agreed with Kakashi of course. So they'd kept her hidden, kept her safe under seals and jutsu in the depths of Konoha's forest.

The war had been terrible. But it had been the shortest war Konoha had ever experienced. A year had passed quickly. And brutally.

Too brutally perhaps. But Naruto has no regrets.

The shinobi world as a whole had fractured shortly after he had killed Danzo. Back alley deals and clandestine arrangements had fallen through after the war hawks death. And nations that had been counting on the fall of 'pacifist, peace-keeping' Konoha, realized that Naruto had a radically different agenda on his mind. Whatever dreams of peace he'd had before had died with Jiraiya in that watery cesspool they called Ame.

The fragile peace the nations had experienced before Akatsuki disappeared overnight. Whatever bijuu had existed to keep checks and balances had disappeared, their containers killed or executed years ago.

Lightning nation crushes Water country within a week. Days later Stone invades Sand, destroying Ame and Waterfall in the process. This time there is no Hanzo, no Pein to weather the tide and hold ground against the great five.

The people are massacred. The land is scorched and salted.

And whoever is left flees to Fire country, seeking asylum.

While the world burns around them, Konoha hunkers down. Tsunade is not, as Naruto had assumed, dead. But rather in a deep coma. One that even Shizune doubts she will ever awaken from. And with the death of Danzo a power void looms in the heart of Fire Country. The Daimyo demands a new leader and what remains of Tsunade's advisors bicker ceaselessly about who will become Hokage. Days, and then weeks pass with no action.

So Naruto decides for them.

Stone invades through Rain three months after he kills Danzo. Konoha is still in shambles after Pein; its might severely hampered after Akatsuki's invasion. And while Naruto and Kakashi had been away, searching the continent, Danzo had undermined whatever was left of the once great Fire Nation's military. Forces had yet to be mustered. The border had yet to be secured. Konoha is woefully unprepared for another war

So when Stone tears through paper defenses on their march into Fire Country, Naruto meets them on the battlefield, alone.

He is twenty one when he wipes an entire division of Stone's army off the map.

There are no survivors. No one to recount the tale of how they'd been utterly crushed by one man. For Stone, it is reminiscent of the Kiiroi Senko, the Yellow Flash. Of how he'd slaughtered them down to the last man and woman and left their corpses to rot on the battlefield.

This time there are no remains.

Scouts later return with tales of the land itself torn apart; valleys where none had existed before and rivers and lakes created over the scorched earth.

Naruto returns from the battle unscathed.

Thus begins the legend of 'Raiden'.

Konoha sings his praises shortly afterward. But Naruto has long since given up needing praise. He has other goals he works for now. Konoha is merely a house, not a home.

It was odd, he muses. He had wanted to be Hokage for so long. A dream he had long since abandoned. He has a new, deeper purpose. And when they finally offer it to him, he feels hollow. Nothing but a bitter taste left in his mouth as he declines.

So mentally unstable, hanging by a thread Kakashi takes the job at Naruto's urging. He needs someone in his corner, needs someone to be there for the future. Needs someone to support him no matter what. Kakashi puts up a fight course. Says he should be on the battlefield, should be by Naruto's side and not stuck at a desk. And what abo-. But Naruto just shushes him. Assures him that he knows what he's doing. Assures him he has a plan. He needs someone in the village to keep her safe. To teach her about the sharingan. And all Kakashi can do is stare at the seals tattooed into Naruto's arms and think about the wind and the rain and the lightning and know that Naruto is right. He always is. So Naruto wins his argument and Kakashi becomes Hokage.

And in the month afterwards, Kakashi can only wonder if he had been holding Naruto back from his true potential. Or if he had been the one holding Naruto back from genocide.

The war continues.

Naruto is twenty one when he kills the Tsuchikage's granddaughter on the battlefield.

* * *

He watches her circle like a hawk.

He remembers her being so full of energy. So full of life. So eager to fight and to please. They'd been allies once before, on the field against Akatsuki. Now all he sees is hatred. All he sees is her loathing and her fear. The war, even in its short time, has consumed her. She's killed many and watched just as many of her own die. Naruto can see how much she despises him; it's written so clearly on her face.

"You killed them all!"

She screams at him and he can see the spittle fly from her mouth. She is of course referring to the massacre months prior. All of Stone's finest killed by the 'Thunderbolt'. His new nickname. He's not sure if he should like it or not. She'd had a lover in that division he guessed. Maybe two. She'd always been promiscuous. Fun and wild. With a hot, tight mouth. But Naruto just cocks his head and plays dumb.

"Who?"

And it sends her into a frenzy. She attacks. And the stone and earth bends around her to her will. She is quite talented and Naruto admires her complete mastery of the element. He had never been good with earth. He dodges a mud dragon and hiraishins away, avoiding the broken earth and shrapnel as it explodes in his former location. As good as Kurotsuchi is however, she's not her grandfather. She is no Onoki of Both Scales.

She'd been a friend once. And even a little more.

So Naruto says a small prayer as the White Fang's old chakra blade buries itself into her spine and severs her head from her neck.

* * *

Days pass. Then weeks. And Naruto's accolades on the battlefield pile up. His legend grows.

Eventually, the Tsuchikage demands his head for the death of his granddaughter.

Naturally, Kakashi cheerfully declines.

So Stone invades again, this time with Lightning nation.

By now Konoha has pressed back through Ame and Waterfall and regained lost ground. Tenzo commands the armed forces and their furthest northern vanguard. The opposing military's are at a stalemate. They have been for months. Neither gaining ground nor losing it. Konoha has been locked in tight, hunkered down and repelling waves and waves of attackers. But there have been rumors of bigger, more powerful pieces moving in the shadows. So Kakashi dispatches Naruto. The blonde meets them on the border.

The thunder rolls and clouds gather overhead, dark and black as they form in the night sky.

"A is on the battlefield tonight. I can feel his chakra gathering."

Naruto's is kneeling and his eyes are closed, almost as if in a trance and Tenzo is watching him closely.

"A the Unruly? Here? Now?"

There's slight trepidation in his voice. Around him other masked figures tense, bodies going still in the night. The fourth Raikage had deemed it necessary to visit the border personally. The only thing worse would be if the Tsuchikage himself visited as well.

"Do we need to alert Hokage-sama? Have him come to the border right away?" questions Tenzo. Around him, shadows shift and shuffle. ANBU captains are gazing at Naruto, eyes flitting back and forth between their commander and the Kyuubi jinchuruuki.

Naruto's eyes open almost lazily, chakra thrumming as gold irises glint in the dim light. He shrugs.

"No need to bother the old man. Sensei has other things to worry about."

He stares at the incredulous looks from the Jounin and ANBU around him, visible even through their masks. He can feel that they're uncomfortable around him. That's good. He enjoys it.

"I'll handle A."

Silence follows his statement. The other ninja in the room stare at him, and Naruto imagines that they think he's full of shit. But he's always been full of surprises. A is just another man. And all men die. Naruto straightens up from his kneeling position, stands and stretches a bit before looking at Tenzo. He can see the other man is hesitant, knows that Kakashi has told him to look out for Naruto. But where Naruto is going, Tenzo cannot come.

"You guys handle the rest. I'll worry about the Raikage".

No one argues with him.

* * *

"B would be ashamed of you."

He isn't one for talking anymore. But this time he wants it. Needs it. They were sold out. And he finally knows by who. And now, he wants answers, even if he has to pry the Raikage's tongue out himself. In all his time as a shinobi it was never personal. Not for Zabuza. Not for Sasuke. Or Danzo. Or Sasori. But this one he enjoys.

His voice is deadpan. Matter of fact. B would be ashamed. The other jinchuruuki had dreamed of peace, dreamed of a conflict that would actually end. Naruto remembers long nights rapping with the other man, trading stories over bottles of sake. They had both had hard lives. Ostracized from their civilian peers, hated by their shinobi ones. It had been one of those nights, in the final year of his training with Jiraiya that Killer B had helped Naruto unlock his potential as a jinchuruuki. He had fought himself and almost died. But he had succeeded and had emerged from behind the waterfall, beaten and almost broken. But he had won.

He remembers smiling. Remembers swelling with pride as B stood up to congratulate him, an arm out to hold him steady.

And he remembers Tobi plunging a hand right through Killer Bee's chest.

A massive waterfall roars behind them, millions of gallons of water crashing far away into the depths of the valley. A snarls as he leaps forward, lightning quick fist aimed towards Naruto's head. But the blonde just shifts his weight, sliding past the charging man. He watches impassively as he crashes his body into the cliff face, momentum carrying him too far and too fast.

"Though I doubt he'd be surprised. He always was a realist."

Another fist, another streak of lightning, another dodge. Naruto bobs and weaves, eyes never leaving the panting man in front of him.

"At least until you sold him out to Akatsuki and let them rip the Hachibi from his body."

Somehow, someway, Akatsuki had discovered their hidden training location and gained access to a place that even the Raikage himself had trouble getting to.

A snarls again, panting as he sinks to his knees.

"You don't know ANYTHING BOY!" he roars.

Naruto chuckles, dodging another jutsu as he plants his foot into A's chest, sending him careening backwards toward the edge of the cliff.

"What did they promise you, A? Money? A seat at their table? Konoha perhaps?"

A's bare chest heaves up and down as he strikes again. But Naruto can see he's slowing down. The Raikage isn't what he once was. He's not as fast, not as strong, not as agile. And he's certainly not nearly as fast as the Yellow Flash. And Naruto is much, much faster.

"What was worth the death of your brother and the Kyuubi jinchuruuki, at the same time? They must have promised you something special."

Naruto dodges one attack, then another. And then powers up a spinning, swirling rasengan square into A's chest. The chakra explodes at the last second, sending A stumbling backwards as he struggles to regain his footing. His chest is a bloody mess, rib bones jutting out and blood dripping down his torso. The older man makes a show of spitting, blood and saliva splattering over the dirt between them.

"And how did you survive whelp?! What deal did you make with the devil?"

Naruto pauses and stares at him, momentarily taken aback, staying the power of a building rasenshuriken. It comes to rest in his hand as A continues, blood dripping from his lips as he screams.

"I saw you! I saw you die and I watched that masked freak rip that god damn demon out of you!"

Naruto casually dodges a lightning bolt, then another and another. A is working himself into a frenzy. And he knows it will be over soon. The man is wreathed in lightning now in a last ditch attempt to kill him. This is his final move.

"And yet here you are!" A screams as his chakra swells. He would kill this blonde fuck if it was the last thing he did.

"Tell me! You died. You're a monster."

Who's the monster now? Naruto always wondered. Was it him? Was he a monster when the Kyuubi was thrust into his body as a baby? Or was he more of a monster when Obito pulled the demon fox out of his body and took his soul? Or perhaps when he took a deal from the heavens itself and bound the fox to his will once more, destroying the almost completed Gedo Mazo, unleashing the raw form and energy of the bijuu onto the world again?

Naruto ponders for a brief moment, rasenshuriken spinning in his hand. And for a split second, he loses control.

"You're a fucking fool, A."

Wind natured chakra tears the older man's chest apart as Naruto plunges the spinning orb into his back.

Naruto is twenty two years old when he kills the Yondaime Raikage.

Everyone on the battlefield feels the death of the Raikage. Feels his chakra swell and then snuff out like a candle. And they stop, amazed. And then they feel a surge of power and the oppressive chakra of the Kyuubi descends upon them. Of the thousands of shinobi gathered at the border between the Stone and Lightning forces, a few dozen survive Naruto's onslaught through sheer luck. They return home crazed with terror, tales of a demon swathed in lightning who can control the wind and bend the world to his command.

The war ends abruptly after that.

Both nations shut their borders down, and enter into lockdown mode. No one wants to tangle with the "Kaze no Kami", Naruto's newest moniker.

Fire country wins. But it's a hollow victory. The entire world is still trembling. Beauracrats in Konoha want to press the advantage, want to push forward and punish Stone and Lightning. But Konoha doesn't have it in them for an invasion. Not without Naruto. And his heart is no longer in it. He wants to go home.

So they come to terms. Kakashi hammers out the details with the rest of the world, Naruto is too far gone to care about the intricacies of politics anymore.

The world has been torn apart and broken. And he has one more responsibility. Something to go home to.

* * *

"How long."

It was a statement more than a question. Sakura already knew the answer.

They're standing in Kakashi's office. The day is dying and the sun is falling behind the forest in front of them. Shadows play across the red and white Hokages hat and Kakashi's tilts his head to gaze at the pink haired girl in front of him. The past years hadn't been kind to her. What was once beautiful porcelain skin had been scarred and disfigured by Amaterasu. Countless hours of skin grafts and healing had done little to help her condition. Her jade green eyes were gone, replaced by empty white orbs.

"Sakura…" starts Kakashi. He can feel the impending headache setting in. Naruto is standing across from him impassively, gaze locked on his once teammate. Sakura ploughs right through the beginning of her sensei's sentence, cutting him off.

"How long have you been hiding this!? I can't believe you're going to go along with him. Are you out of your mind?"

Kakashi shakes his head, brows furrowing.

"It's not exactly our choice to make anymore. Naruto has been at this for longer than you realize. It's out of my control Sakura."

Naruto watches Sakura's hands clench into fists and is briefly reminded of the power she used to wield before Amaterasu destroyed her chakra system. He can see her getting angry, sees her teeth clench and her face twitch in a motion she no longer has control over. She raises her voice, and Naruto remembers how shrill it uses to sound. Now it's a raspy mess of its former volume.

"Are we all really going to stand here and act like the sharingan isn't the reason that the world is absolutely fucked right now? And you want to raise her?! Are you out of your fucking mind Naruto?"

She was much more outspoken now than she used to be. Much more frank. He remembers that shy, weak girl that he had come to love. And he remembers how she threw it all away for the ravings of a lunatic. But it's all water under the bridge now and the crippling reality of her loss of chakra had sent the girl he used to know spiraling into a deep depression. When she'd finally come out of it, she was a shell of her former self. She had tried her hand at being a medic, but it hadn't worked out, and now she worked for the hospital doing paperwork. Her life as a shinobi was effectively over.

They'd been through a lot together, Team Seven. But Naruto was done talking. Was done being part of that team. He had been for a very long time.

"Enough Sakura."

Naruto watches her jaw drop.

"No. No! Not enough Kakashi. Naruto is mentally unstable. The psych checks all show that. He told us he fucking DIED sensei. And we still don't know how he survived. And you want him to raise the last person on earth with Uchiha blood?"

Silence falls across the room and Naruto thinks bemusedly that if he was mentally unstable, he would have killed her by now. He watches her turn to him and he stares into the blank gaze of a girl who was in love with a mad man and laughs inside. Uchiha Sasuke was mentally unstable. Naruto is merely a little…touched in the head.

"You know what they say about Uchiha, Naruto. It's in her blood."

He makes a dismissive motion with his hand and cuts her off.

"She's only half Uchiha. Who knows if she'll ever develop a mature sharingan. And frankly Sakura, it's not your place or decision. So back off. She's not your kid."

Sakura loses it.

"AND SHE'S NOT YOURS EITHER NARUTO! But here we are, debating about whether you want to continue to nurture a cursed bloodline. Think about this. Think about what we've risked and who her father is-"

"**Enough.**"

Naruto's chakra tightens around him and Sakura flinches back. It's a subtle reminder of what she's lost and Naruto can feel her mood take a turn for the worse. He feels no remorse though as the girl shifts from foot to foot in front of him, the pressure of his chakra making it too uncomfortable, too quickly. Kakashi's gaze flickers between the two. The brim of his hat hangs low over his head and for a moment Naruto can see the ghost of Sarutobi Hiruzen sitting in the same chair. He remembers the old man, hands clasped on the table, smoking his damn pipe, grey plumes billowing into the air. Remembers how the old man has said his team had fallen apart as well. And he wonders if he felt as guilty then as he knows Kakashi feels now.

Naruto reigns his chakra in, gaining some semblance of control over the situation. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulls out a scroll and places it on Kakashi's desk. It's a little weathered, a little old, but the ink inside is what counts.

"She's not her father. And she'll never be as long as I'm alive. She's my responsibility now."

Sakura merely shakes her head and snaps back.

"Tsunade-sama would be disgusted with you".

Across from them Kakashi stills, tensing for a conflict. But Naruto just takes a deep breath and calms himself. He can see her too, you know. In that chair. The same way he sees Kakashi. The same way he sees Sarutobi. And he knows the old lady had more than enough regrets for a lifetime. She would have understood, he thinks. Sakura is too stupid, too naïve, or too blinded to see that.

Tsunade dies in her sleep shortly after recovering from her coma. The cost of saving the entirety of Konoha from Pein's attack is too much for her. Perhaps if she'd been younger. Perhaps if she'd kept up her training, pushed herself to new limits. Perhaps if she hadn't drank most of her life away. Tsunade never recovers from the extreme draw of chakra on her system. She awakens from her extended coma long enough to set her affairs in order before her body just gives in.

Naruto finds her at her home when he feels the last remnant of Senju chakra fade from Konoha.

When he does, she's on the porch, staring straight ahead. Her unseeing eyes are locked onto the forest that her grandfather built, a cup of sake loose in her grasp. Naruto takes a moment and admires her. She'd long since stopped using her genjutsu to hide her appearance. Her skin is wrinkly and weathered, and Naruto is surprised by the long ropy scars that cover her arms. Her platinum blonde, almost white wisps of hair twist slightly in the wind. She'd been like a mother to him. Just as much as Jiraiya had been the father he'd never had. And now that was gone too.

He says a prayer before reaching out lightly and closing her eyes forever.

It is a massive blow to Konoha shinobi morale during the war, and something that haunts Sakura for the rest of her life. She will never escape the ghost of her mentor; never escape the ghost of her failures. Of what could have been, or what should have been. Much like Kakashi will never stop seeing ghosts of the past. Much like Naruto will always wonder, 'what if?'.

The Legendary Sannin are no more. Of their pupils Naruto is the last active ninja.

He is their only legacy now.

Which is why he's getting what he wants. Why the council is giving him what he needs. The girl is his responsibility now.

He can't help but shake the feeling that this was the plan all along.

The last three members of Team Seven are silent for a long moment.

Kakashi glances at the scroll on his desk but makes no move to take it. So Naruto turns on his heel and walks out the door, ignoring the awkward fear he feels from Sakura and the growing knot he feels in his stomach. The papers are signed and Uchiha Hitomi is now the ward of Uzumaki Naruto.

He scoffs. Pupil. Of course he'd name her after her eyes. He shakes his head, exiting the steel and concrete tower and stepping out into the Konoha night. It was too late for second thoughts now. It had been for a very long time.

* * *

Naruto is silent as he steps through his doorway, intricate seal work etched into the wood glowing silver for a brief moment before recognizing his presence and fading away. An owl hoots somewhere in the night as he closes the door behind him, sliding the solid wood shut with a soft click.

He reaches a hand over to the wall presses his palm down against it. Gradually the room begins to brighten, soft yellow light bathing the walls in a golden glow. He pauses, sliding his bag onto the table in front of him, fingers running through his blonde locks.

"Tadaima", he whispers to himself. Silence is his response.

His charka unfurls around him, reaching out to soak the small cabin in his presence. He can feel Hitomi in another room and his senses reach even more, tracking her steady, soft heartbeat. Sleeping, he presumes as he sits at the table in front of him.

His boots come off, as does his headband. The dull metallic plate clatters to the table with a thud. And after a moment the White Fang's old chakra blade strapped to his back comes to rest on the table as well. Black fabric is pulled back as his gloves are stripped off and thrown haphazardly onto the floor. After another moment he slips out of his flak jacket. Those too, come to rest of the wooden deck next to his boots and gloves.

Easing back into his chair, Naruto grips both sides of his jacket before pulling it off and throwing it to the ground as well. His stiff tank top is all that remains, and in the golden glow of seal powered lights, the tattoos on his arms glisten. He places his jacket onto the table and stares, turning his wrists to get a better view.

The seals are small. Intricate. Master level work. Something that people like Sasori and Jiraiya would have dreamed of. Seals like that etched into living, breathing flesh was no small feat. Even the Yondaime, with his genius intellect and innovation, would have struggled to come up with such a layout.

But it's what they do that is even more impressive.

Naruto traces his left forearm with a soft touch. The power to harness and bend the wind. Shina tsu hiki. Fujin. Circles of grey and white and silver, etched together with thick black chains. The power to call upon the whirlwind and pursue his prey to the corners of the world.

Naruto stares at the small kanji embedded in his right arm. Yakusa no ikazuchi. Raijin. Lines of gold and bright blue and grey surrounded by deep black streaks. The power to call down the thunder, to bring the lightning crashing down from the heavens. The power to smite that same prey from existence.

They are not untapped wells of power. Far from it. Rather they are controls, conduits in which to use his vast reserves of chakra. Guides to harness his sage powers and tap into the different nature chakras of the world in ways he never thought possible.

They are a gift. A last ditch effort to save the world and bind the power of the Kyuubi once again.

All it took was a deal.

A door down the hallway creaks open and Naruto's head snaps up, broken from his reverie. A small smile comes to his lips as he watches a little girl shuffle down the hall in her pajamas.

"Sensei?" she says. And her voice is raspy, hands come up to rub bleary eyes as she stumbles forward.

"You're home?"

She's still half asleep and Naruto can only chuckle as the girl comes crashing into his seat. He reaches his arms out to steady her, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah Hitomi, I'm home."

Naruto rests his head on top of hers. She smells of shampoo. Peach and raspberries and cream. He takes a deep breath.

Hitomi wiggles in his arms, pulling away slightly so she can stare at him. She can look him in the eyes when he sits now, just barely. She's tall for her age; she's received none of the Uchiha stature from her father. Instead she's tall and willowy, gracefully clumsy in the way she walks and moves. Naruto imagines she must be like her mother.

"For good this time? No more missions? No more war?" she questions. There's a doubtful look on her face and Naruto can't help but laugh.

"Yeah. No more war. We won."

The little girl sighs and climbs up to nestle in his arms.

"Kay. Good."

Naruto can't help but think that it's an awkward angle to fall asleep at, but he knows Hitomi would move if she wasn't comfortable. So he says nothing, instead electing to allow the little girl to adjust. Eventually her head comes to rest on his chest as she falls back asleep.

"Thank you for coming home Naruto-sensei…"

Her sentence trails off, and even though her voice is muffled but he can hear every word crystal clear. This is the most relaxed he's seen her in a very, very long time. Cooped up like this, alone, isolated, secluded from the outside world… For a moment Naruto grimaces. He can understand. So as she smiles and eases herself into sleep again, Naruto savors the moment, knowing they are far and few in-between.

So he sits in silence.

And for a moment the world is so, so simple.

* * *

An: Dreams part two. Tbc.


	3. The Deal

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"_Do you remember dying, Uzumaki Naruto_?"

He does actually. Very clearly, as if it were yesterday.

He remembers waking in the dark to the feeling of his soul being ripped from his body. There is no other way to describe it, and to this day Naruto can still not find the words. He remembers pain, a million hot knives digging into each pore of his skin and scratching and piercing until he is a shaking, shivering mess on the floor.

He remembers his body on fire, a burning sensation welling up in his chest as if a volcano was exploding, as if lava itself were churning within his body.

He remembers puking all over himself, hot stomach acid dribbling down his chin as he pushes himself to his elbows on a cold, damp floor, just to meet the gaze of one Uchiha Obito.

The older man stares at him for a moment. He is bare faced; no mask to hide behind, no persona of Tobi to conceal the hidden madness lurking in his eyes. And Naruto can see the mangekyo sharingan swirling in one eye, intricate pinwheel spinning slowly as Obito watches.

The Uchiha sighs and finally lifts his gaze from Naruto, looking past the blonde. Naruto tries to crane his head, tries to see what is behind him, but his body won't respond and his head is pounding and throbbing with pain and he just can't keep his eyes open long enough…

"Isn't it beautiful Naruto?"

A foot nudges him, rolling his prone body over on its side. A hand reaches down to grip his chin, long bony fingers coming to grasp his mouth and tilt his head up. Naruto stares at the massive Gedo Mazo, thrumming with energy, wisps of red and blue chakra coalescing around his many hands.

"The vessel that will usher us into a new age of peace."

In his addled state Naruto can't help but think that Tobi is a fool. That he couldn't possibly understand what peace was. That no man or woman could ever follow this man willingly. Peace through total destruction. Through intimidation. Through genocide.

But as his eyes flit in and out of focus, Naruto can see the many ninja in the shadows, can feel the chakra signatures of many more. There are so, so many here already, waiting, watching. They are following a mad man. Not a prophet.

"Well, I shouldn't say 'us', should I?"

Obito rises with a sigh, coming to stand just outside Naruto's range of sight. The blonde can see a brush and ink. Some sort of sealing is about to begin, or end.

"You won't be around to see it."

And then the older man goes to work. Seconds pass. Then minutes. Perhaps even hours. Naruto loses track of time, the pain growing stronger with every breath.

"The seal is almost broken. The extraction is almost complete. And soon the ten tailed Jyuubi will rise."

Time passes and Naruto can feel himself slipping. But it can't end like this. Not here. Not now.

And as Tobi makes the final touches on an obscure seal forgotten to all since the last Elder Kami walked the earth, he grins. And Naruto can see the insanity in his smile. Obito puts his hand on Naruto's chest and the blonde can feel the older man gathering chakra. But he has nothing left to fight with. No chakra. No energy. No will. He can hear Kyuubi roaring deep within his mind. But it's muffled and drowned out, locked away from his grasp by something.

Obito traces Naruto's bare chest with his fingertips before coming to rest on the exposed, black seal on his stomach. His chakra tightens and Obito clenches his hand as he gazes at the Gedo.

"Goodbye Naruto. You've been a pest for far too long."

And then he pulls.

The seal breaks, the Yondaime's crowning achievement shattering into a million pieces, intricate work dissolving into nothing but black lines. Chakra surges forth and the Gezo Mazo consumes it hungrily.

The Kyuubi howls, a deep terrified, haunting sound that echoes in his mind.

Obito's manic smile is the last thing Naruto sees before he dies.

* * *

Naruto is just barely eighteen when he dies.

It's quite an odd feeling. To die that is.

The last thing he feels before the empty grasp of the void is a spinning, sinking sensation. Like he's falling through time and space with no end in sight. He loses his sense of being, the world a blur of colors and lights before there is nothing but black. All he hears is white noise, a faint humming and buzzing in his ears, like a mosquito that just won't go away.

His conscious and his body float, winding and turning through the darkness like a raft on a river. The humming in his ears is faint, but as his body floats and he loses track of time the humming increases its volume until it's a dull whisper in his head, a faint throbbing that won't fade away.

The darkness around him gives way over time, sparks of light in the world above him. He gazes up with sightless gray eyes, hints of silver and gold twinkling in a never ending ebony sky.

The current takes him onward. What feels like days pass.

Eventually it ends. And his body eases gently into an invisible nook in the darkness. When he comes to a stop, Naruto reaches out blindly. His fingers squelch in what feels like mud beneath his hands. Shakily he gets to his knees before slowly standing, stumbling his way forward. One step, then another.

He trips over something in his path, hands stretching out to stop his fall. His fingers grasp onto smooth, cold wood, like ice against his skin. He lets out a sharp intake a breath before he steadies himself, pulling his hands back. One hand comes up again, brushing against the frozen wood in front of him. He is still for a moment before his hands inspect what he assumes is a tree, traveling over the bark before touching something smooth. It hangs delicately by a strand, by a thin branch.

He pulls.

And with a soft snap it falls into his outstretched hands.

He turns it gently. Peach. Perhaps plum, says the shape.

Naruto's body aches suddenly, his stomach rumbling as he's taken by an urge to eat. An unyielding hunger grips him like nothing ever before. He turns it in his hand once more before lifting it hesitantly to his mouth.

Just one bite.

A voice echoes around him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Naruto freezes and spins on his heel toward the direction of the voice, the fruit in his hand forgotten momentarily.

"If you eat it", continues the voice, "You'll be stuck here forever. Just another lost soul in the depths of Yomi."

Naruto feels his hand clench involuntarily. It's a woman's voice speaking, low and husky over the buzzing and whispering in his ears. He turns his sightless eyes to the direction of her voice.

"I've waited a very long time for this, Naruto-kun."

He can hear her steps in the darkness now, coming closer as she speaks.

"And I always wondered if this was even possible."

He's on guard. But what can he possibly do? No chakra, no sight…his body clumsy and slow in his control.

"But as you harnessed the Kyuubi and the nature chakra of the world, as you became a sage, it became so tantalizingly close…"

Her voice is almost on top of him now, and the fruit falls from his grasp. He hears her pause, a foot shuffling to a half step in front of him.

He flinches as a cold hand brushes his face, shivering as the voice is suddenly so, so close, whispering into his ear.

"And then you died. And I plucked you from the never ending river of Yomi and brought you straight to me."

Long fingers grasp his chin and pulls back instinctively, but they hold fast, digging into his skin.

"You poor, poor thing. You've endured much in your short life."

Her other hands travels over his face, grasping and brushing, almost savoring the feeling of his skin.

"But I'm not done with you yet Naruto-kun. The world isn't finished with you."

She caresses his cheek and her fingers dance over his closed eyes. And then the touch fades, as does her voice. Naruto releases a deep breath, the panic gripping his chest fading for a moment. And then he blinks. And when he opens his eyes again he can **see**.

The first thing his eyes fixate on is the glow of a ghostly white tree in front of him, pale like the moon in the night. He sees fruit hanging from its few branches, twinkling like silver dust in the darkness.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Naruto twists, ripping his gaze away from the glowing tree in front of him before coming to rest on the owner of the voice.

She's sitting a ways away. And Naruto wonders how he can hear her so clearly when she is so far. Involuntarily his feet draw him closer. He knows he shouldn't, but he needs to know who she is. Why he's here. So he walks and his eyes pick out every detail of her being as he does. The wide expanse of the Yomi river runs in front of him and she's perched on a bridge over the calm water that seemingly has no beginning or end, simply fading into the darkness like everything else around him.

Her skin is pale, translucent almost, as she lounges on the bridge, watching him like a hawk. And the kimono that falls over her porcelain skin leaves little to imagination, the valley of her breasts barely covered by fabric that hardly reaches her thighs. Naruto struggles to swallow.

He watches her head tilt back and forth as he approaches, her crimson lips twisting into a smirk as a knowing look graces her face. She crosses her legs.

"You must be wondering why you're here Naruto-kun."

He can't lie. He is wondering exactly that. The last thing he remembers is Obito tearing the Kyuubi out of him. The last thing he remembers is losing for the last time. Obito would bring the Jyuubi to life and Akatsuki would rampage across the world. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. Not anymore.

The woman in front of him sighs, taking a deep breath. And her breasts swell. Naruto tears his eyes away.

"So many sharingan users in the world of the living. And none of them realize the true origin of their power."

For a second he's lost. The subject change is so abrupt that Naruto doesn't know what to think. But she continues, ignoring the questions on his lips.

"Ages ago, when chakra was still young, my husband fancied himself a Kami among men. Like many of us, he enjoyed playthings."

Her lips curl in disgust.

"He wanted followers. So he walked amongst you, spreading his teachings. Spreading his knowledge of the world, of the heavens and of the afterlife."

Naruto watches her grip the railing of the bridge, looking past him into the darkness.

"He loved humanity. Loved the blossoming of charka, of power, amongst you all. He loved to be worshipped. Particularly by a raven haired, coal eyed, woman living in your homeland."

The ethereal railing splinters under her hand and Naruto flinches back.

"He loved this woman so much, he passed onto her and her children the power to harness the Kami themselves."

Suddenly it dawns on him. The pieces fall into place. Everything clicks. The woman continues.

"You know it as the sharingan. The power to harness Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi and Izanagi."

She clenches a fist and Naruto can feel the powerful void within her, churning with anger.

"My husband, Naruto-kun. Izanagi."

Izanami. Izanami no mikoto. The goddess of the underworld.

She stares at him. And Naruto suddenly feels alone, out of his depth. Being a shinobi is simple. Bijuu and chakra he understands. Even the nature power of sage training sings to him and he knows it like the back of his own hand. But Kami, Elder Kami at that? Naruto is just a small piece in a much, much larger board.

"He gave himself and the powers of our children to the world."

She spreads her hands, twists her so she's facing him, and the fabric shifts over her thighs, giving Naruto a long glimpse of her body.

"And when I protested he chained me here. To the afterlife. To watch over those he'd given power to after their death. My curse is to watch, but never interfere."

She eyes him now, and Naruto can feel her devouring him hungrily. She steps closer to him. Once, then twice.

"But now", she breathes, and suddenly Naruto can feel her hot mouth on his neck, lips so, so close. They touch and the feeling is like a shot of ecstasy straight to his veins.

"I have my own champion…"

And then she's gone, lips pulled away from his neck, leaving him a dazed mess. He turns groggily and finds her standing in front of the ghostly tree behind them.

"So this is my offer to you."

The sultry tone in her voice is gone, replaced by steel.

"I will bring you back to the world of the living. I will give you the strength to bind the Kyuubi once again. And then I will give you the means to pursue my silly husband to the ends of the earth. And once you find him, you bring him to me and set me free."

He stares at her and ponders. As if there is anything to think about. He needs that second chance and this is the only way to get it. But he can't help playing the devil's advocate and the worlds tumble from his mouth.

"And what if I say no?"

For a moment her piercing stare feels like he's been stabbed in the chest and the oppressive nature of her power swirls around him in agitation.

Seconds pass and then she scoffs.

"You? Say no? With no other options? Laughable. But I'll entertain you Naruto-kun."

The crushing pressure around him fades away.

"If you say no, then you move onto the afterlife. You stay dead. And the Shinigami keeps your soul trapped in Yomi for eternity. The masked Uchiha creates the Jyuubi and binds it to his will with the mangekyo sharingan. And then he enslaves the world. Nation by nation. Village by village. He burns Leaf to the ground. Scorches the very earth underneath it, burns the forests down around it. Destroys its very foundations so that there will never, ever be a Hidden Leaf again. He leaves no survivors, and he slaughters your friends and family like animals."

She cocks her head and stares at Naruto.

"Is that the answer you were looking for?"

Naruto pauses.

"And you would be okay with that? With Obito destroying this entire planet on a whim?"

She laughs, and the sound is grating on his ears.

"Look around you silly boy. Death is my domain. I am an Elder Kami, older than chakra itself. The living world ceased to interest me long ago. I am merely tying up loose ends."

He looks up at her, and then at the flowing river next to them. He can still hear the whispers in his ears.

"Then why me of all people? Surely there have been others you could use. Why not yourself?"

She's close to him again, fingers caressing his face slowly. She's whispering in his ear, and he can't help but feel alive at the fervor in her voice.

"There have been. But none so suited as you. The Kyuubi is imprinted onto your very soul. And you have bound Nature's energy to your very will. Never has there been such a combination."

Her lips are hot on his neck for another moment and this time he feels her bite into his skin. He almost moans aloud.

"As for me."

She pulls back from him and for a second he craves her touch. She gestures to her body, kimono shifting on her translucent breasts. Naruto watches them bounce.

"I am bound to this world. I can no longer influence the living. Those that are dead are my only subjects."

She touches his nose with a long finger.

"And with the power of the wind and thunder bound into you, there is none more perfect for containing my husband."

She turns away finally and he can breathe again.

"So, do we have a deal, Uzumaki Naruto?"

His silence is consent enough, but he nods anyways. The goddess across from him smiles wide and laughs, and this time it's like the sound of a bell to his ears.

But as the pleasant sound reaches his ears, Naruto can't help but keep his eyes glued to her smile.

And the hint of madness that lurks behind it.

But he has no time to change his mind. He can't. He's made his deal and the clock is ticking and Obito is sealing the Kyuubi in the Gedo Mazo. Soon the Jyuubi will walk the earth.

Izanami gestures with her hand and suddenly the air around him is alive with electricity. Lightning crackles and the wind inks itself into his arms, shrieking like a cyclone. He grimaces at the pain but watches in wonder as seals etch themselves into his skin, glowing for a brief moment before fading to black and gold and silver and blue.

The iridescent form of Izanami begins to fade away, and Naruto takes one last glance at her face, the wild fervor behind her eyes.

"Then go. Reseal that fox. Bind the storm to your will. And then find my wayward husband. Bring me Izanagi."

The thunder rolls.

* * *

Uchiha Obito dies when the Gedo Mazo is destroyed by streaking lightning that rains down from the heavens. The white bolts crash through the cavern ceiling and pierce the giant statue as it transfers energy from itself into Obito. The power of all nine bijuu explode from the behemoth and the negative feedback rips through Obito's body and tear his chakra system apart. Not even Kamui can save him as the combined, condensed, corrosive chakra of the bijuu disintegrate him where he stands.

Naruto awakens with lightning in his veins and the wind howling around him.

Around him the cavern groans, chakra swirling in the air. The walls crack and the earth underneath him trembles as Naruto pushed himself to his feet. He can hear people screaming, a faint sound drowned out by the wailing wind that gusts agitatedly past him. Most of the chakra signatures are fleeing, vanishing without a second's hesitation.

He snorts, blue eyes alight with power. So much for fanaticism. Lightning crackles around him and the smell of ozone is fresh as he clenches a fist, gazing around.

There are a few left. Watching him. He can feel them in the shadows. But they are afraid, whispers the wind in his ear. Afraid of you. Of your power.

His fingers flex and Naruto closes his eyes; he can feel the nature chakra returning to his living, breathing body. And he uses it as a guide. Lightning arcs from the sky, hot white and cold blue all at the same time, crashing to the ground with the force of Raijin.

Zetsu has no time to melt his camouflaged body into the earth before a bolt of lightning shrieks down from the sky and slams into his head, vaporizing it on contact.

The last connection to the Jyuubi dies a quick death, killed by his curiosity. After that the remaining chakra signatures flee, fading away into the distance as lightning and thunder continue to spill from the sky above Naruto.

Naruto says nothing, turning his attention to the wreckage beside him.

He can feel the swirling chakras of the bijuu in the remnants of the Gedo Mazo. Soon they will all dissipate, sucked up by Nature chakra to be held by the earth and redistributed into corporeal forms in the future. But for now they churn and hiss, the last remnants of control fading away from the statue. There is only one chakra that concerns him however. And its malevolent, lava red hue is easy pick out among the myriad of colors.

Naruto reaches a hand into the swirling mass and **pulls**. The lightning in his veins thrums under his skin and the wind howls around him. He grimaces and tears the Kyuubi from its siblings.

"No Jyuubi today", he mutters.

The Kyuubi's corrosive chakra boils in his outstretched hands. He eyes it for a moment. It's thrashing and raging in his grasp and he holds on for dear life. The blue and silver and gold and black seals in his arms glow brilliantly.

"Time to come home Fox."

The seals shine for a brief moment before a clap of thunder roars around him. Nature chakra thrums in anticipation and the lightning in his veins hisses as he pulls Kyuubi into himself, the seals stitching closed on his skin, beginning to bind the Fox to his soul one again.

He screams. And it's a loud, guttural sound with the tinge of the demon fox leaking into his voice. The last of Kyuubi's chakra disappears into the seals on his forearms. Tears are leaking from his eyes and he's screamed his throat raw. His teeth are clenching and he can taste the blood in his mouth, feel it trickling down his lips. He can feel the seals shudder in his skin, aching to keep the power of the bijuu contained. His skin is ripping, his chakra system straining to hold his body together. Muscles tear, lightning crackles and Naruto screws his eyes shut, golden irises alight with concentration.

His body is adjusting, struggling to keep the thrashing, boiling energy of Kyuubi within him. The seals are almost done stitching, Nature chakra almost finished binding them together.

What feels like hours pass and Naruto is a shivering, huddled mess on the floor when it all ends. He feels the chakra of the Kyuubi swell within him, and a quick moment later his muscles and tendons begin to sew themselves together, healing within seconds. Lightning crackles between his hands as the seals on his arms glow a vivid silver. Once. Then twice. Nature chakra croons around him in happiness.

Balanced. Once again.

Naruto is the first and only Jinchuruuki to survive two sealings and an extraction.

* * *

He searches fruitlessly for Izanagi for the next two years.

But the world is plunged quickly into war and he hardly has the time to devote his entire existence to searching for a hidden god. His friends need him. His village needs him. And so he fights. But the deal he made lurks in the back of his mind, tinting his life in a gray cloud. As long as Izanagi walks, he can have no peace. His bargain with Izanami must be fulfilled.

So he scours the earth.

And yet for such an important part of the Uchiha origin story, there is not a hint of mention of the Kami anywhere. No records, no writings, no paintings. Nothing.

Itachi dies sometime during his two year search. Suicide, say the whispers that reach his ears. A sick and dying prodigy with just enough willpower to last long enough to give his brother the power to harness the mangekyo. Naruto regrets every day that he never has a chance to question the Uchiha scion. That man was a trove of information and perhaps of all the Uchiha, he would have known.

His search continues. And slowly Naruto realizes that it is not just the sharingan that he needs. Kakashi tries unsuccessfully at the very beginning of their search to summon Izanagi. His mangekyou proves unable. But the practice with Kamui is good and Naruto can feel that Kakashi is close to a breakthrough of his own. But he moves on. The older man is a genius and he'll figure out Kamui and perhaps even Susanoo, with time.

Months pass.

His battle with Sasuke of course, proves uneventful. No hint of Izanagi anywhere. Sasuke's death is satisfying, but it doesn't give him the answers he needs.

It isn't until Danzo that the name of the Kami rears its ugly head as a technique to avoid death.

At first it makes no sense that Danzo can wield a technique like Izanagi. Studying the sharingan with Kakashi has helped Naruto understand the intricacies of the doujutsu. Within the greater doujustu bloodine there are smaller variations of the sharingan. The mangekyo requires loss. Eternal mangekyo requires sacrifice. Some variations, like the ones that wield Kotoamatsukami and Kamui, are more special than others, and manifest once in a blue moon in the most random of individuals. Others however, require special conditions. Izanagi is one such mutation.

It requires a pure heart.

Naruto comes to understand, after he kills Danzo and returns to studying the sharingan, that Danzo's cheap trick to avoid death is a pale imitation of the true technique. The true technique is not a complex genjutsu that requires Senju and Uchiha genes to properly use. It isn't a genjutsu at all.

Rather, it is a summoning contract. More specifically a contract for Izanagi no Mikoto. Much like Susanoo summons the god of storms to the battlefield to shield its user, Izanagi summons the Elder Kami himself.

But it requires an Uchiha with a pure heart, who also possesses the mangekyou.

When this dawns on Naruto, after long nights of research and pouring over scrolls with Kakashi in between missions, cooped up in the Hokage's office, he almost has an aneurysm. No wonder Izanagi had never been summoned to the mortal plane again.

A mangekyo user with a pure heart? It was impossible. The mangekyo drove Uchiha to insanity in droves.

Not to mention that any Uchiha with a mangekyo was long dead.

When he tells Kakashi this after another long mission, returning in the dead of the night and exhausted, he misses the sidelong glance that the older man gives him, instead flopping into the seat across the Hokage's.

"I don't understand. Kaka-sensei. It's impossible."

The silver haired ninja shuffles some papers on his desk, one eye glancing lazily at the blonde in front of him. For a moment he considers being silent. Naruto is missing such an obvious piece of the puzzle. And he isn't sure if it's on purpose, or if the blonde is just being dumb. But he knows the little girl holds some sort of special place in his heart.

Leaning back the copy nin eyes Naruto. A moment passes, then two, and finally he speaks above the younger ninja's ramblings.

"You know someone with a sharingan besides me, Naruto."

That gives the blonde pause and he stops mid-sentence, eyes blank.

"Who?" he says as he blinks owlishly.

"You should know. You saved her", quips Kakashi.

A second passes.

And suddenly soft blue eyes are like chips of ice, glaring defiantly at the silver haired man. He knew this would be the reaction, so Kakashi dutifully raises his hands in a placating manner, leaning back further in his chair, red and white hat shading his masked face.

"No. No Kakashi-sensei."

There's a darkness lurking behind Naruto's eyes that the man hasn't seen for a while. Kakashi shrugs. He's seen worse.

"It's merely a suggestion. You're out of options. But her potential for growth is amazing. With the right teacher…"

He trails off, giving Naruto a pointed look.

"No. Nonononono. I'm not sensei material."

Kakashi huffs, resting his chin in one hand as the blonde continues on.

"It will kill her. And if it doesn't kill her it will drive her to insanity. I can't do that to her. I owe it to Sasuke."

The silver haired man is careful with his next words, knowing the twisted ties of allegiance that he is about to navigate. Kakashi clasps his hands on his desk.

"Well then, you have some promises to work out don't you? Your obligation to Sasuke's dying wish. And your deal with the Kami of the Underworld."

Naruto grimaces and for a moment looks like he is about to protest, but Kakashi soldiers on.

"If you play it right, you can fulfill both. You're a shinobi. Think. Use your brain. She's young. You have time to mold her. Shape her. At the moment she's a blank canvas who just happens to have a sharingan. It doesn't dictate her life or control her path. There is no Uchiha clan. And if we keep her hidden long enough, we can guide the path she takes. You can mentor her. Be there for her. Be the person you wish you would have had, Naruto. Don't' be a fool."

The copy nin scratches his cheek over the fabric of his navy blue mask. The blonde across from him is finally silent. Good. He has a little more to say.

"And if you can't, then when she's older you have a choice to make. But that's a long time coming. All I know is you have **now**. And that breaking a deal with an Elder Kami might not be the best idea. Not for Konoha, or you. But if you plan to break it you need to start planning **now**."

Kakashi shrugs.

"Now take my advice or leave it, but decide. And soon. We both know war is on the horizon."

* * *

And he was right.

A bloody year later, Naruto returns home.

"_Do you remember dying, Uzumaki Naruto?"_

And sitting on his window sill is a ghostly, iridescent figure, pale white kimono hugging too many curves in too many places.

Izanami grins.

* * *

An: In Japanese mythology, Izanami sends Raijin to pursue Izanagi. A woman scorned…


End file.
